Heavily influenced musically and politically by mid-1990s vegan straight edge metal/hardcore acts such as Earth Crisis, Day of Suffering, Loxiran and Morning Again, their music also displays influences from metal acts such as At the Gates, Metallica, Sepultura and Slayer.
The year of 1999 saw Maroon releasing a demo cassette entitled The Initiate, signalling a new era of vegan straight edge culture in Germany. All four of the songs were to be found on later releases.
Their first cd, Captive in the Room of the Conspirator, was recorded at Headquarters Studion in Berlin in spring 2000 and released that year on the now-defunct Kerosene Recordings label, featuring songs like The Solution strongly advocating a vegan lifestyle and support for animal liberation and earth liberation. The band began touring Europe, opening for many hardcore acts including their idols Earth Crisis and Morning Again.
Later in the year Maroon released an untitled split 7" with Absidia on the Crap Chords label, featuring the song Wasted. That winter the band went back to the studio to record a split CD with Self Conquest entitled The Key, this time using 101 Studios, also in Berlin. On the heels of this recording, released by Beniihana Records the band went back on the road once more, touring Europe and opening for bands including Heaven Shall Burn and Caliban.
In November 2001 Maroon entered Rape of Harmonies Studios to record their debut full-length, Antagonist, released on legendary US vegan straight edge hardcore label Catalyst Records (http://www.xcatalystx.com). Catalyst is run by Kurt Catalyst, frontman for defunct hardcore legends Birthright and a newer band, Risen. Antagonist featured Maroon's best work to date both musically and lyrically, delivering a number of hard-hitting songs including the vegan straight edge anthem Still Believe in What Has Fallen Apart and a cover of Canon's classic animal liberation rallying call Declaration. The album soon became one of Catalyst's biggest sellers in both the US and Europe, leading to more European tours.
After some line up changes Maroon switched labels to Alveran Records in 2003, who then re-released Antagonist. February 2004 saw the band at Denmark's Antfarm Studio recording a new full length album entitled Endorsed by Hate. Following the recording, original guitarist Marc Zech left the band, and was replaced by Sebastian Rieche. The album was released in Europe in June, and between June and December of 2004 Maroon played 60 shows across Europe, including major festivals such as With Full Force and Pressure Fest. In October the band switched labels again, signing to Century Media Records. In early 2005 Century Media/Abacus released Endorsed by Hate in North America.
Many of Maroon's die-hard vegan straight edge fans felt let down by Endorsed by Hate due to its general lack of overtly topical lyrics, especially after the inspiring "Antagonist". As opposed to previous releases, the new album makes no mention of veganism, straight edge, animal liberation or earth liberation in the lyrics, liner notes or artwork. Another disappointment for these fans was the change of Maroon's website address from "http://www.xmaroonx.com" to "http://www.maroonhate.com", leading many fans to believe that Maroon have "sold out" on straight edge.
2006 saw the release of the new Maroon CD entitled When Worlds Collide which lead to some back-to-the-roots changes a least regarding the lyrics. 24 HourHateor Wake Up In Hell (one of the disco-smashers 2006, deal with animal liberation, while
Like Sword And Bullet advises a life without drugs.
Regarding the music, the new album is more diverse than any of the others. Maroon combine both their old trademarks with some new features (even featuring clean metal-style vocal on Annular Eclipse, even though it somehow lacks the spirit of the older Maroon releaes due to its very clean and sterile production.
In 2009, they released their fifth and last album, called Order.
They announced that they will play their last Tour in 2014, with their last show at the Summerbreeze (15th of August).
Confessions Of The Heretic
Maroon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can see the path - the path of the dead
Please take my hand - and show me the sorrow
Here where the dead walk - the human race
Years ago - so many wars before
A human race - destroyed by greed and devastation
The race, a virus - called civilization
This is the night of living dead
There is a place, no sun awakes
The walk of the dead
The walk of the humans
I close my eyes, my bleeding eyes
I hope you can feel the suffering everyday
Like all the innocent victims all the years
The walk of heretic, the dying age
Walk of the dead!
Fuck you!
Please take my hand and show me the sorrow
Here where the dead walk, the human race
The human race
This is the night of living dead
Here is the place, here is the race
The walk of the dead
The walk of the humans
The opening lines, “I can hear the voices, the voices in the dark. I can see the path, the path of the dead,” evoke a sense of the undead and the unknown, creating a macabre and eerie atmosphere. The singer’s plea “Please take my hand and show me the sorrow” suggests a desire to understand the pain and inner turmoil of the people in the underworld that he is seeing. The lyrics “Here where the dead walk, the human race” create a disturbing sense of confusion and blurring between the living and the dead, as if the two are existing in the same world.
The song’s themes of greed and devastation destroying the human race suggest a strong social commentary, presenting the idea that humans may be responsible for their own downfall. The lines “The race, a virus, called civilization” seems to suggest that the singer believes the problems of the world are a byproduct of our own civilization, which has spread like a virus, destroying everything in its path. The lyrics “The walk of the heretic, the dying age” suggest that the singer sees himself as a rebel, a heretic walking outside societal norms, but who sees the truth that others cannot or refuse to see.
Overall, this song seems to be a dark meditation on the apocalypse, exploring the idea that the end of the world will come from within, rather than from external threats.
Line by Line Meaning
I can hear the voices - the voices in the dark
The singer is experiencing auditory hallucinations or may be referring to the voices of the dead in the afterlife.
I can see the path - the path of the dead
The path of the dead that the singer sees may be a reference to the afterlife or to the cycle of death and rebirth more generally.
Please take my hand - and show me the sorrow
The singer wants someone to guide them through the sadness and pain that they are experiencing or witnessing in others.
Here where the dead walk - the human race
The singer is seeing the dead walking among the living, suggesting that death is an ever-present threat for humanity.
Years ago - so many wars before
The singer refers to a time when there were many wars, indicating that humanity is no stranger to conflict.
A human race - destroyed by greed and devastation
The singer suggests that humans are responsible for their own destruction through their greed and their destructive actions towards nature and each other.
The race, a virus - called civilization
The singer characterizes civilization itself as a destructive force that spreads like a virus and causes harm.
Now the dead walk - and time is over
The singer sees the dead walking among the living, potentially indicating that the end of humanity is near or has already arrived.
This is the night of living dead
The singer refers to a time when the dead are walking among the living, blurring the lines between life and death.
There is a place, no sun awakes
The singer refers to a place that is devoid of life or light, possibly representing death or an afterlife realm.
The walk of the dead
The singer refers to the movement of the dead, which represents a sense of foreboding or danger for the living.
The walk of the humans
The singer references the movement of the human race towards its eventual demise, seemingly acknowledging that every individual is participating in this process.
I close my eyes, my bleeding eyes
The singer is in pain and may be experiencing physical or emotional trauma, suggested by the phrase 'bleeding eyes'.
I hope you can feel the suffering everyday
The singer wishes that others could understand their pain and the pain of others, potentially calling for greater empathy and compassion in the world.
Like all the innocent victims all the years
The singer refers to the countless innocent victims of war, disaster, and other forms of violence, suggesting that humanity has a long history of pain and trauma.
The walk of heretic, the dying age
The singer refers to themselves or others as heretics, people who deviate from conventional beliefs or values, in the context of an age where death is ever-present.
Walk of the dead!
The singer may be calling attention to the danger posed by the dead, or expressing defiance or rebellion against the cycle of life and death.
Fuck you!
This exclamation may express anger, frustration, or defiance towards any number of subjects, from society to death itself.
Please take my hand and show me the sorrow
This repeated lyric represents an ongoing plea for help or guidance through the pain and devastation of the world.
Here where the dead walk, the human race
This repeated lyric emphasizes the idea that death is a constant companion to the living, and that humanity is always at risk of being consumed by it.
The human race
This concluding line simply serves to emphasize the central focus of the song, which is the human condition and its relationship to death and pain.
Contributed by Mia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.